Balance
by peachiee
Summary: Art and love are destructive. Daisuke takes Satoshi home one night only to be held back when he tries to leave, and the two end up living together. It isn't as easy as it seems, with secrets and trouble everywhere, and two raging enemies in the same home.
1. Night of Blood

Balance

_Chapter One: Night of Blood_

"Though thy slumber may be deep, Yet thy spirit shall not sleep;

There are shades which will not vanish, There are thoughts thou canst not banish;

By a power to thee unknown, Thou canst never be alone;

Thou art wrapt as with a shroud, Thou art gather'd in a cloud;

And for ever shalt thou dwell, In the spirit of this spell."

_—Longfellow_

* * *

Satoshi clutched his bleeding side as he glared at the shadowed form standing above him. The sword grasped in the figure's hands swung dangerously close to his neck and halted just above his bare shoulder. It ripped across his skin, letting more blood flow. He closed his eyes tightly to hold back the screams of pain that threatened to tear the inside of his throat. But the searing pain of hot metal cutting through his body continuously had suddenly taken its toll, and he began to cry out in agony.

_'Satoshi-sama...If you do not fight back...'_

"Shut...up, Krad..." Satoshi coughed and turned to the side, spitting out the red metallic substance that filled his mouth. He moaned, backing up against the frigid tile wall behind him to try and escape the danger that loomed over him. His eyes darted up to meet his foe, its devilish eyes and malevolent smirk disturbing the soft face that possessed the features. A stroke of nausea suddenly struck Satoshi and he fell to the floor, his arm still wrapped tightly around his waist in an attempt to stop his bleeding. The crushing feeling of his skull against a marble floor made the Hikari dizzy; he was barely able to open his eyes before he caught a blur of red.

"N—Niwa..."

_'I would be more concerned with yourself, Satoshi-sama. You, are bleeding to death.' _It must have been the nausea and loss of blood because Satoshi found himself silently agreeing with Krad, something he would never have done, under even the most horrific conditions. That night, however, seemed to be an exception. Niwa was laying unconscious on the floor several feet away from him with blood spilling profusely from his forehead. Satoshi himself was bleeding in several places, and had a sword now pointed to the center of his chest. The situation must have confused his sense and logic.

_"Hikari,"_ the figure murmured. Satoshi rose just enough to glance once more at his opponent, his eyes going thin with disgust as it spoke to him.

"T—Tsubasa...No Kumori..." His eyes widened as he coughed once more, his head hanging low as a thin stream of red made its way down his mouth.

"Why...?"

_"Hikari," _the artwork repeated, stepping closer. Satoshi let himself fall back onto the floor with one arm around his waist and the other resting beneath his head. Thin fingers began to run through his strands of cerulean and the boy looked up weakly, his eyes dull and tired.

_"He killed them, Hikari-san. He killed them all." _The fingers tightened, pulling Satoshi closer until he was so close the soft sensation of the figure's breathing tickled his skin.

_"Why won't you let me kill **him**, Hikari-san? You keep protecting him. Does that mean...You've betrayed your own clan?" _

"_No_! You...You don't _understand_!" Satoshi hissed in pain when the figure wrenched at his hair once more. The ominous glow radiating from its eyes brightened to a haunting silver color, and its mouth split into a wicked, yet pained smile.

_"Hikari-san," _it crooned, _"**He **has been an enemy all along. Why do you protect him **now**? You are in my way, Hikari-san. And that means..." _Another frail hand found its way to his throat, nails digging deep into his flesh until the boy gasped out for air. _"I will have to kill you as well, Hikari-san."_

"_Hiwatari-kun_!" The figure grasping him suddenly released its hands from Satoshi's neck, cries of pain emitting from its lips. It fell to the ground and hissed, letting his eyes meet those of the Hikari before he whispered, _"I **will **kill him." _Then the artwork slowly vanished, a soft light engulfing it until there was nothing left but a few gray feathers.

"N-Niwa?" Daisuke stood above him, the same sword used to harm Satoshi, now clutched tightly between his fingers. His eyes were large and fearful, strands of red made even more crimson by the blood that soaked his hair and splattered across his face. He was drenched in sweat and covered in his own blood. Satoshi flinched several times from the pain of his aching body, and began to pull himself up.

Daisuke's eyes widened more. "Don't move!" The sword fell to the floor with a loud clang as Daisuke rushed to his friend's side, taking in the injuires with his eyes. He was on the verge of tears.

"Your bleeding...It won't stop!" Daisuke reached a shaking hand out to brush away strands of hair from Satoshi's face. There were several small cuts along his cheekbones, and a now small line of dried blood ran down the side of the boy's mouth. His glasses were nowhere to be found, probably laying somewhere broken and shattered. Neither seemed to take notice.

_'...I will heal your wounds, Satoshi-sama. Just tell Niwa Daisuke to get his filthy fingers off of you.'_

Satoshi seemed to ignore him for the moment savouring the feel of Daisuke's hands running through his hair. He closed his eyes, trying to relax when he felt the boy shaking him.

"You can't fall asleep! You...You might not wake up." When Satoshi opened his eyes again Daisuke _was_ crying. The salty water that ran from his red eyes mixed with the blood that stained his face. With much reluctance, Satoshi gently pushed Daisuke away until he was at a safe distance. The instant the younger was away, Satoshi could feel the tingling sensation of magic spreading through his body. It was like small electric shocks that tickled the tips of his fingers, and made his blood pump more fiercly. He could even feel his own heart jumping up and down forcefully against his chest. Carefully, he focused on his breathing, making it soft and rythmic, trying to ignore the pain of bones snapping back into place and cuts closing up.

"Hiwa—"

_'Hush, Daisuke. Krad is healing him...'_ Those were the first words that Dark had spoken all night long, in exception to the screaming he'd been doing moments before to try and wake his host up. It had evidently worked and Daisuke had rushed over, grasping the sword that had been carelessly left beside the artwork, and struck down onto the enemy.

_'What should I do then?' _Daisuke watched as Satoshi's eyes came to a chilling color, a blue so thin and pale it seemed like white.

_'Run! He'll be fine, just get out of here!' _Yet, the ghastly white was slowly changing to a sinister gold.

_'B—But Dark!' _Before the argument could be continued, Dark reappeared, forcing Daisuke back into the confines of his own mind. He stood over Hiwatari, scanning over the young boy's form.

"Gods...He looks awful." The immense puddle of blood that Satoshi was lying in clearly showed _that_. Dark flinched each time a bone cracked, or the soft sound of skin stretching over muscle sounded through the air like rain on glass. His senses were on high alert as the thief watched magic work its way into Hiwatari Satoshi, a soft glow engulfing the fragile body.

_'Dark? What's wrong with him?'_

The thief's eyes thinned as Satoshi moaned and groped for his head, still half awake, probably trying to massage his scalp in an attempt to calm the pulsing headache that was plaguing him. "Nothing," Dark muttered, "He's in a_ daze_ right now. It's sort of like...getting laughing gas. He'd be screaming if he was completely aware of what was going on."

_'Why?'_

Dark smirked slightly, yet his eyes were still focused on Satoshi with a pitying look in his eyes. _'It's not like a fairytale, Daisuke. Magic is painful.' _

When the gentle pulsating of the golden aura around the Hikari faded, Dark watched carelessly as the bloody mess before him groaned and fell asleep on the floor.

_'D_—_Dark!'_

He felt Daisuke grasp at a chance to gain control, but only pushed him back and walked closer to Satoshi. The shirt he once wore was torn to ragged pieces, barely even covering his body anymore. Dark's fingers ran over the long scar that now made its way across Satoshi's chest.

"Don't worry, he's just out of it. Krad probably is too, with all the magic he just used. They'll wake up soon enough, both of the stubborn bastards." Carefully, Dark positioned Satoshi until the thief was able to carry the boy gently without dropping him, but also not too tightly, so as to not disturb the newly healed wounds. Dark's eyes lingered on the boy in his arms, Satoshi's blood soaking the thief's clothes, before they moved onto his surroundings.

"This place is a _wreck_!" he complained, plastering a taunting smirk on his face.

_'This is no time for joking!' _Daisuke twitched his nose and pushed his mouth into a frown.

Dark did so in unison. '_I **know, **Daisuke. Excuse me for stating the truth.' _He sighed and looked back down at the Hikari sleeping peacefully in his arms, a tangle of limbs and torn clothing. Involuntarily, Satoshi curled closer to Dark, moulding his body to the one closest to him. A soft breath was released causing Dark's skin to go numb and his eyes to twitch.

"Let's just get him cleaned up. Wiz!" From his back, a pair of large wings sprouted, several black feathers scattering the floor.

_'So we're just going to leave the museum like this?' _Daisuke prodded and poked away at Dark's consciousness, complaining about the mess until finally the thief shrugged his shoulders, then snarled.

"I don't care, Daisuke!" The wings spread once more and took one lasting beat in the air. "The janitor will have fun cleaning this place." Then, they were off into the night, two arguing and one completely unaware of the danger of which he was in. The danger of what was to come.

**IIiiII**

"I'm not going to _wash_ creepy boy, Krad would waste no time in killing me if I did." Dark was perplexed as he watched the blue-haired boy mumble things in his sleep and tug playfully at the sheets and pillows that were around him. He cocked an eyebrow and put both fists on his waist before Daisuke fumed again.

_'And what about me? Do you think I want to...to **bathe** him!'_ Daisuke fell silent as he went on mumbling excuses of a homicidal blonde that came out when he was alone with a certain someone. Dark donned a mocking grin and scratched the back of his neck, still looking as puzzled as ever. It wasn't just the fact that Satoshi seemed to retreat to an innocent side in his sleep, but the fact that he was _mumbling _things. He would grasp for some sort of comfort, much like a child would, and pull it tightly close to his body while muttering things in his dreams.

Daisuke continued to ramble on as Dark wandered the apartment, allowing his fingers to touch anything that gained his interest. It was plain enough. All rooms needed for a human to survive; a kitchen, bathroom, and a living room. Along with a bedroom that contained nothing more than a low bed, drawers, closet, and a small lamp that sat lonely and dusty in a corner. The famous Phantom Thief entertained himself by leaning over and blinking curiously at the old light, then gently blowing on the lampshade causing a layer of gray to float into the air and catch into his eyes.

"Augh!"

_'...Baka...'_

"Be quiet!" Dark growled angrily as he went about wiping at his eyes with his hands balled into fists, rubbing away at his eyelids. After several moments he blinked trying to regain his sight and finding it to be very difficult. How could a room be so dusty and seem so...uninhabited when it was the exact opposite? From the corner of his eye—which was still not seeing exactly clearly—Dark thought he caught a glimmer of something bright and silver. His eyes focused on the object before he realized exactly _what_ he was looking at and his stomach wrenched into knots. Daisuke seemed to be closing his eyes in aggitation as he waited for Dark to finish with trying to clean his.

_'Are you done...yet...Dark?'_ Daisuke opened his eyes once more, and blinked when he received no quick remark, or reply of impatience.

"Eh?" He was snapped from his trance of staring into the closet and pulled his eyes away from the door, quickly making his way out the room, so not to let Daisuke catch sight of what he himself had seen.

_'What's wrong?'_ Daisuke seemed to be nervously twitching now as Dark made his way to where he thought the bathroom might be. Amethyst orbs flickered back to Satoshi's room and narrowed before he closed the door.

"Nothing, Dai-chan. I just thought...I saw something."

Before Daisuke could ask anymore Dark started to wash his face, the cold sensation of water against skin causing him to shiver. When he suddenly stopped, Daisuke opened his eyes to find himself looking back into his own reflection, his own hands now gathering water between his palms. After a moment, he was staring back at a grinning Dark, reflected beneath him.

"Why'd I change?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Lazily, Dark replied, _'You still need to give creepy boy a bath, remember? I'm going to sleep...'_

Daisuke stumbled for words, but it was too late. Dark had already fallen silent, and the soft sound of his alter ego snoring echoed through his mind. With a sigh of irritation, Daisuke dragged his fingers down the mirror and stared into the cold water beneath him. His reflection was shown again, but this time it was his own; red eyes, red hair, and Daisuke notice he had dried blood running down his face.

"Tonight," he whispered, "Was a disaster." For a moment, he dwelled on the faint traces of memory that he'd held onto. Everything seemed fuzzy, like static, where Daisuke wasn't _sure _what he was hearing or seeing.

_"Blood. Taste the Niwa blood. Taste how sweet it is."_

He held his head, twisting his fingers between the strands of red that became sticky and slick against his skin.

_"Kill him. Do it! Have you truly turned against your own clan?"_

Daisuke allowed a soft moan of agonizing pain to escape his lips as he sank to his knees on the cold tile floor. His head was throbbing angrily with memories of poison words. The white walls around him seemed to be suffocating his entire being. His eyes were shut tight as he slammed his forehead back into the cabinets of the sink, anything to get rid of the images. Anything to make the memories of that night go away.

_Satoshi, with a long, blood-stained sword raised above him. His eyes thin, tints of gold tainting the regular blue. His fingers shook for a moment and the sword dropped again. Screaming. Flashes of red. Blackness._

If Dark were awake, he had decided to let the child work things out for himself. The onslaught of horrific images could have woken skeletons, shaking them from their graves. Daisuke let his eyes open once more to be greeted with a silky red rug beneath him. Whimpering, he shut his eyes once more. It reminded him of that color, the color that had been so fresh and alive that night.

_Kneeling in a pool of crimson. His head screaming in the absolute pain of someone ripping him from the inside. A shadowed, sinister figure above him. It smiled, a wicked knowing smile that craved for the taste of blood, the feel of it between his fingers, the sight of the color of the Niwa_—_red. _

_Blood, blood, blood. _

Daisuke stumbled his way to the shower, his legs trembling as he groped for the edge and pulled himself up again. His fingers reached around blindly for the faucets, and once he found them he switched them on and stripped of his clothing. He let the garments lay disregarded at the edge of the white marble tub as he darted inside.

_'...What did Satoshi say?' _Daisuke allowed his eyes to open once more and watched as the water poured down onto his skin. The cold gave him goosebumps. He looked around quickly for the soap. Tendrils of red gathered in the tub's bottom, blood mixed with water, and vanished as it drained away. The Niwa quickly lathered himself, feeling as though he was intruding on Satoshi's things and home. Worse than that, he was bare naked in his friend's apartment, taking a shower while the other lay bloody and injured on the couch in the next room. As he roughly scrubbed his hair to rid of any dirt and material, his eyes squeezed themselves closed. He felt like he was cleansing himself of all the evil and sin that had surrounded him tonight.

_'Tsubasa...No Kumori?' _He sighed and closed his eyes, turning off the shower and exiting as he wrapped a towel around his waist. His eyes wandered back to the clothes on the floor. There were no rips, the exact opposite of Satoshi's attire—just numerous blood stains. He gathered them in his hands with dull eyes and pushed his way out the bathroom, trying to find the washer. When he noted Satoshi was still asleep, and had found the washer, Daisuke tossed his clothes in and walked back over to Satoshi.

"Should I...?" He jumped as Satoshi turned in his sleep and mumbled something inaudible. Daisuke decided that there was too little left of Satoshi's shirt to be kept and so he took what _was_ left of it, and disposed of the clothing turned rags. His attention then turned back to the blood drenched—yet not torn, trousers.

_'...You gonna strip him, Daisuke?'_

_'D_—_Dark! I thought you...'_

_'This was just** too** good to miss.'_ With a smirk, Dark continued to watch as Daisuke shyly removed Satoshi's trousers until the boy had nothing but a pair of black boxers on.

_'Oh, looks like you ran out of luck, eh Daisuke?'_ The redhead simply ignored the thief as he tossed the trousers into the wash along with his own clothes, and turned it on. He stood, leaning against the metal until he heard another groan, coming from the couch.

_'If you don't wash him up, some of the open wounds that haven't closed will get infected, you know.'_ For once, Dark was talking logically, his voice taking on a more serious tone. Daisuke's eyes wandered back to the sofa where Satoshi was tossing and turning in his sleep, calling out a name that Daisuke couldn't make out. With much reluctance, he found a pair of Satoshi's own jeans to put on for the time being and made his way back to the living room. Pulling Satoshi into his arms, he stumbled into the bathroom.

"Jeez Satoshi! You feel like a bunch of feathers..."

When the two were finally back inside, Daisuke gently set the boy in the tub and turned the water on until it was half full. As the water continued to run, Daisuke rummaged around for a cloth so that he could clean Satoshi properly. When he turned back to the other boy, the boxers were billowing up from his skin and the water was splashing against his exposded abdomen.

_'You're lucky they're not white.'_ Dark commented slyly, earning another quick remark from a blushing Daisuke. He ignored his alter ego, instead occupying his mind with washing away the bloodstains on Satoshi's skin. The water slowly began to turn brown and murky and Daisuke had to change it twice before Satoshi was completely clean.

"So..." Daisuke wrung out the rag and opened the drain, tilting his head at the _still_ sleeping Satoshi, sitting up in the bathtub, his head tilted innocently to the side as droplets of water ran down his face. His hair was hanging down, gently curving around his face. "How do I dry him off?"

_'You have to strip him now! You can't leave the guy in wet boxers!' _After being told to be quiet for the fifth time that day, Dark grudgingly left his host alone, letting his mind be occupied with other matters. However, as Daisuke looked down on Satoshi he realized that it would be bad to leave his friend in soaking clothes. Daisuke twitched nervously and hurried off to fetch several towels. This was going to take some quick maneuvering...

When Satoshi awoke some two hours later, he felt oddly refreshed. His eyes tried to adjust to the pitch dark of his room as he reached out blindly for some source of light, the lamp perhaps. While his mind slowly sorted things out, he tried to figure whether it was the evening or the middle of the night. His mind somehow told him he'd only been sleeping for a few hours, and it was still pitch dark outside whether he could tell or not. When his fingers grasped around something soft and silky, his eyes widened considerably. He ran his fingers over it again until the something beneath his hand stirred...

"Ne, Hiwatari-kun?" The words sounded slurred and the voice tired.

Niwa. The flooding of light suddenly stung his eyes and Satoshi covered his eyes with a groan of detest. When he uncovered them he found Daisuke sitting next to him, looking as if nothing in the world had happen in the past few hours. His hair was tangled and messy, an easy sign he'd been sleeping.

"N—Niwa?" For the second time that day, Satoshi stumbled for words.

_'I see you're finally awake, Satoshi-sama.' _Golden eyes watched malicously through blue as Daisuke smiled softly.

"Well, I thought I'd help you get back home and—"

"Why aren't you...?" Then, Satoshi noticed something else; he was in fresh clothes. No tears, no blood, no pieces of broken glass...nothing. When Daisuke saw the astonished look on his face, his cheeks flushed a deep red.

"W-Well, I used your shower and washer. And, I didn't want you to have all that...blood on you, so I—"

_'Kill him. Now. He **bathed **you.'_

_'He **what**!' _Satoshi's eyes dulled for a moment and Daisuke stayed silent, his own eyes tinting a soft purple.

_'Of course, he saw nothing much, but still, he seemed to be having fun touching you. Clothing you seemed to be a pleasure as well. The impudent_—Satoshi tuned Krad's rambling out for the time being, and leaned forward on his bed to pull Daisuke's chin up to face his.

"...Niwa-kun?" Daisuke's eyes snapped up and he gave a short nod of acknowledgement. "Did you...change my clothes?" Daisuke's blush very much resembled the color of his hair.

"Yes, well, I couldn't leave you with just boxers on, so I put you in a large shirt and well, I—I didn't see anything Hiwatari-kun! I swear!" He suddenly hung his head low and gave a deep sigh. Satoshi blinked several times before releasing Daisuke's face, and looked down at his clothes. He was wearing a large shirt, like Niwa had said, that reached down to his knees and his pants were large and loose on his hips. It was probably very easy to get them on, without seeing _anything_.

"I'd...better go Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke murmured. He stumbled to his feet nervously and tried to make his way out of the room quickly when he felt Satoshi's hand on his wrist

"You," he whispered, "Aren't going _anywhere_."


	2. Night of Shadows

_**Japanese Vocabulary**_

**Gomen: **Sorry

**Kuso:** Damn

**-Kun: **Used for younger boys, or when one is close friends

**-San: **High form a respect, addressing someone of higher level than oneself

**-Sama: **Higher form of respect, used between lovers (sometimes)

Balance

_Chapter Two: Night of Shadows_

"Night brings our troubles to light, rather than banishes them."

—_Seneca_

* * *

Satoshi wasted no time in pulling himself from his bed, his fingers still wrapped firmly around Daisuke's wrist. They stood for a long moment in silence; Satoshi waiting for an answer and Daisuke to shocked to give one. He tightened his grip on the boy until the Niwa flinched.

"W-What?" The redhead flushed in confusion, letting his eyes dart back and forth between his captor and his wrist. Daisuke looked down at the grip Satoshi held on him and frowned, trying to pull away. He gave a soft whine when Satoshi refused to let go. There was surely to be imprints on his skin the next day. "Hiwatari-kun...You're hurting me..." Daisuke placed his free hand gently over Satoshi's until the blue-haired child was persuaded to let go.

"Gomen, Niwa. I cannot allow you to leave." Satoshi's hand then occupied itself with wandering the surface of the table adjacent to his mattress, looking for his glasses. It was then he realized they were probably back at the museum, a mess of shards and metal. He tucked his hand back into his pocket to fiddle with the lint there as he stared at a bewildered Daisuke. Again, he attempted to exit, heading a straight path towards the door. Daisuke only made it to the kitchen before the swift sound of a lock clicking reached his ears.

_'Oh...shit.'_ It was not like Dark to curse unless the two were in some sort of dire situation. Being locked inside Hiwatari's apartment seemed enough for him to nervously rant in Daisuke's mind and use profane language. His host scowlded him for it, before he found himself muttering words that made even Dark frown. Satoshi stood leaning against the main exit, twirling a pair of keys around his finger. He stopped suddenly, seeing Daisuke's face go pale as the boy began to move his lips, hoping words would come out.

"Hiwa...Hiwatari-kun? Why are you..." He watched Satoshi calmly place the keys in his back pocket, and then proceeded in stridding over to his fearful friend.

_'Make a dash for the door! You could easily undo that lock before he gets to you!'_ Dark quickly urged him as Satoshi continued to walk towards him, a diminutive smirk now sliding onto his face. _'That's gotta be Krad...Daisuke, you idiot! Go!'_ Both were now staring into two thin pools of ice. Daisuke tried to move his mouth, but it seemed his whole body had ceased to function. The little electric shocks in his brain dulled until his nerves had come near to shutting down. Dark muttered something about him looking like a dying fish, but Daisuke's hearing seemed to be slowly failing him as he made no remark.

"I will not _let_ you leave, Niwa, unless you are under my careful watch." For a moment, Satoshi's eyes softened. It was probably less than a second because Daisuke's brain, which seemed to still be nonfunctional, could hardly register Satoshi Hiwatari looking upset. Daisuke shifted nervously under the now cold gaze he was receiving. He averted his eyes from the sight of Satoshi nearly staring at him, and let them wander to the empty sink in the nearby kitchen.

"I...don't understand," Daisuke said finally, after a long silence. His whole body felt hot, and the need to fan himself or otherwise drown in fresh air was coming over him. He attacked his arm, rubbing up and down until Dark complained he would make marks if he kept it up. Satoshi took several steps back, probably now figuring that Daisuke wasn't comfortable with the close proximity.

"Of course you don't, you're a Niwa." This conversation seemed to be going nowhere, and now Daisuke took it upon himself to stand rigid with both hands clenched in fists at his sides. No matter how much he wanted to become angry with the boy before him, he couldn't. He let his fingers release and hang limp next to his hips as he took an exasperated sigh.

"Hiwatari-kun, I'm not following what you're saying," he admitted. Satoshi tilted his head just slightly to scrutinize Daisuke for a moment before straightening up and clearing his throat. He brushed a strand of hair from his face, shoved his hand back into his pocket, and said, "You will be moving in with me, Niwa." The poor boy had been so caught off guard he stumbled back as if in fear and tumbled over the couch. In seconds, Satoshi was pulling the smaller up off the floor as he brushed his clothes off. His mouth hung open, closed, and then Daisuke bit down so hard on his lips it looked like he was trying to swallow himself up on the spot.

"But...Why?" Daisuke suddenly realized the careless mistake of seeming casual about the whole situation and began to frantically wave his hands out in some type of attempt to scare the Hikari away."Wait! I'm not moving in with you!" When he opened his eyes again after making his fit, he saw Satoshi staring back at him. Damn...It didn't work.

"You are in danger, and I will not let harm come to a Niwa."

_'...W-What! The day a Hikari protects a Niwa, I'll strip down and sleep with Krad. And that is **not** going to be anytime soon!'_ Daisuke's face became red at the sudden comment from his alter ego as Dark began to ravish about in his mind, pulling away at all sense and logic of how a Hikari wanted to defend a Niwa, under any circumstanaces. Again, Daisuke nearly fell back, but managed to keep himself standing.

"...I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you'd—" Satoshi's fingers were around his wrist again.

"I can explain later, but right now, we have to pack your things." Before he could argue, Daisuke was being pulled down the street by Satoshi, who would cautiously look around every now and then, his eyes darting like a nervous rabbit waiting for the wolf to reveal itself. When the two had finally reached the Niwa household, Daisuke noticed Satoshi was sweating and cursing under his breath. The redhead attempted to interject, but then felt the rough pull of Satoshi dragging him up the walkway of his house, and to the front door. After a short pause and the quick motion of fixing his hair and wrinkled shirt, Satoshi knocked firmly on the wood to be greeted with an enthusiastic Emiko who latched herself onto Daisuke.

"Daisuke, where were you, I was worried sick! Not even a note, I swear. It's nearly three in the...mor..ning..." She was slowly unraveling herself from her son when she noticed the other presence that hadn't released her innocent Daisuke.

The redhead shifted under the glare of his mother and looked down, trying to explain the situation, "Ah, mom, Hiwatari-kun..."

"Excuse us, Emiko-san, we only need to gather a few of Niwa's things and we'll be on our way." Without another word, Satoshi was up the stairs and in Daisuke's room the next minute. When the door was finally shut and locked, with Emiko all ready attempting to enter, Satoshi let go of Daisuke and began rooting through the clothes. He began tossing them into a bag he'd found carelessly left on the floor as Daisuke looked down perplexed. His brain snapped back into place and everything came back to him like a rush of warm water. "Hiwatari-kun, can you _please_ explain to me where you came up with the idea that I'll be moving in with you!"

Satoshi ignored him for the moment, and ushered the boy to help pack his own things. "Listen Niwa," Satoshi snapped, standing back up, "You have no idea of the danger you are in. Have you completely forgotten the last few hours? One of the most dangerous Hikari artworks is loose, because of _your _curse." He went back to pulling shirts and pants from Daisuke's drawers and hastily stuffing them away in the bag. Daisuke stumbled over to Satoshi, stopping the boy in further packing.

His face was red from embrassment as he argued with Dark while still calmly replying, "But...Aren't I safer here? With my _own_ family and _Dark_ to—"

"I know exactly what you're implying, _Niwa_." Satoshi's eyes narrowed for a moment as he pulled his hands away from the pile of clothes he'd set out. "And I assure you _he_ will not cause you any trouble. The _Tsubasa No Kumori_ is to complicated to explain right now. All I can say is that the reason it was sealed away in the first place was because of a mass killing of _both_ clans." Daisuke was already trying to compromise Satoshi's efforts by pulling out his things and placing them back where they belonged.

"So why would I be safer with you?" he questioned; more from curiousity than a bitter remark to the previous sentence. From the door, Emiko entered, Kosuke following as she stalked up to Satoshi, her face the same red as her wild hair.

Kosuke placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her when she burst, "_Dark's_ fault? This would have never happen if the Hikari had never created that—that _creature_." The soft tug of her husband assuaged her ever so slightly and the Niwa woman took a heaving sigh, still throwing knives at the Hikari.

For the second time that day, Satoshi was confronted with an arrogant Niwa who had no idea the trouble both families were in. He had no time to explain their predicament to the mother and father of the so called Wing Master. Instead, he concluded that if Niwa Kosuke could somehow convince his wife to allow their son to visit a friend for a while, he wouldn't have to do anything. Apparently, he was right. Kosuke was explaining in a gentle voice that both boys were probably going to just work on a school project together.

"No, Kosuke! He wants our son to _move_ in with him! What if _he_—" She was stopped aburptly by Satoshi clearing his throat, earning a flicker of interest from both Niwa's.

"I'm _sure_ that Satoshi-san won't allow anything to happen to Daisuke, correct?" Kosuke recieved a curt nod from the younger male and took it as a cue to firmly clasp onto his wife's shoulders. "See, there? They'll be fine. Daisuke—"

"But..."

"Why don't you help Satoshi pack your things? You can call us once you're settled." He was now steadily leading Emiko out of the room, further trying to convince her that everything would be fine. "Besides dear, Satoshi-san is much closer to school and..." The door shut behind them and Satoshi and Daisuke were left alone again. The latter was still trying to recover from another break down in his brain system. He earned a fresh glance from his friend before Satoshi was nearly shaking the other to try and arouse him from the daze he'd fallen in.

"Niwa? You should hurry and pack your things. Might I remind you that we have school in exactly," he raised his wrist to observe the watch there before finishing, "four hours."

Daisuke groaned.

**IIiiII**

"Niwa..." Satoshi groaned, pulling the covers back over his head to try and hide the sight of Daisuke standing in his doorway, looking exhausted with wrinkled clothes on. It was the second time in the few hours they were together that Daisuke had complained he couldn't get to sleep. Even with the comfortable feeling of Wiz's fur against his face wouldn't unerve him. He kept thinking about earlier, and the memories of bloodshed wouldn't flee. It was something that no matter how much Niwa willed or wished it away, the remembrance of just hours ago latched onto his heart like some rabid animal. Yet everytime he tried to rid of that animal, it tore away at his heart, piece by piece, until there was nothing but bloody chunks of fear and pain left.

The boy's face was still horror stricken as he stood at the other's door, expecting somehow that the blood tainted memories would pour out from his mind like a river and wash away the Hikari boy. "Satoshi..."

This time, he looked up, spreading the blankets off him in an instant. Niwa had never, _never_ called him by his first name, with or without an honorific. When the long pause stretched out between the two, Satoshi pulled himself to the edge of his bed and pushed the covers aside. He gave a quick sigh and gestured for Daisuke to come closer. Once he did, both boys were sitting next to each other in silence, in the darkened room with nearly four hours before their day started.

"What's wrong...Niwa-kun?" He would not refer to his first name, but at least he had moved away from _just_ the boy's last name. It was something they were used to. One a Niwa, the other a Hikari. They were hated clans, and those who hated did not give respect to each other. Calling one by their first name was a sign of respect that seemed to have been broken between the two without their realizing it.

Beside him, Daisuke was trembling as his fingers dug into the sheets to the side of him. Daisuke turned towards him, and it was then that Satoshi noticed how dull the usual bright crimson eyes had become. The deep purple rings underneath his eyes, and the limp strands of hair that just_ hung_ beside his face, like dead leaves falling from a tree. The redhead shifted again, grasping the sheets with one hand, and the other reaching out in desperation for his friend. After a moment of blindly trying to catch something other than air, Daisuke let his hand drop to the side, and sighed. He looked at the ground for a long moment before he muttered, "He keeps coming back...Everytime I close my eyes..." Daisuke wrung his hand around a blanket, and Satoshi was sure there would be a hole in it soon.

"Who does?" Satoshi knew perfectly well, _who_. Though before Daisuke could respond, Satoshi was suddenly on his feet, grasping Daisuke again, a sudden realization hitting him hard.

"Where did you put the _Ken no Kuragari_ after you used it?" As far as Daisuke knew, the boy was sputtering nonsense. Even so, the redhead found himself being pulled out the door and into the cold night again. He recognized the path they were taking led to none other than the Ezveil Museum. Daisuke jerked his hand away and both stood staring at each other in the middle of the sidewalk. Around them, crickets chirped cheerfully and above the moon glinted down on them, casting ominous and long shadows across the pavement. Satoshi's eyes darted to these pieces of darkness and he no longer cared whether he ripped Daisuke's arm off; he grasped the boy's wrist and continued on their journey.

"The _Ken no_, what?" Daisuke asked confused, only several inches behind Satoshi as they continued walking. If anyone were to see the two, the sight of young boys in sleepwear running across the street with no shoes on would have them thinking they were dreaming. Satoshi caught the sight of the museum rising above several other homes in the distance and quickened his pace.

His breath was coming out in ragged messes but he was able to scrounge up, "The _Ken no Kuragari_!" Satoshi didn't offer anymore advice as he was sprinting across the street and up to the front of the museum. Daisuke, who somehow realized the urgency in Satoshi's voice and actions, sped after him. When they reached the front, Daisuke was already working away at the lock and in seconds it popped open. The door swung open with a loud creaking and the two entered. Daisuke tried to speak again, but Satoshi only hushed him.

They made their way through several hallways until both were looking over the room they had exited just that night. Everything seemed to still be in the same place; broken shards, blood splattered walls, and pieces of the room in a heap on the floor. Next to him, Satoshi could hear Daisuke step back. "I didn't know..It was this bad." He was staring at a particular area (where Satoshi had been when Daisuke saved him) which had a puddle of still fresh autumn red on the tile floor, and blood flicked against the wall like some kind of canvas where an artist made a mistake. Daisuke stumbled back with wide, trembling eyes, and held a hand over his mouth as if ready to wretch at the sight.

Satoshi was all ready scanning around, trying to find where Daisuke could have possibly thrown the sword. "There's no time to get nauseous, Niwa-kun. Help me find the sword." Hadn't he just dropped it when he saw Satoshi? In that corner over there?

_'It seems to be gone, Satoshi-sama.'_ Krad remarked carelessly, throwing this piece of information out like bait. Satoshi growled, dirtying his hands as he began to root through a pile of rubble. "Just shut up!"

Daisuke was looking over at Satoshi, kneeling down in soot as he pushed through piles of wood and debris. "Eh, Hiwatari-kun?" Well, so much for being on a first name basis. Suddenly, Daisuke turned to a broken window to gaze at the sky above.

"Nothing Niwa, we have to find the _Ken no_—"

"Satoshi, _look_!" This was the second time the Hikari boy heard his first name, and seeing as the first consisted of a shaken Daisuke, he knew the second could be no better. Instantly, he spun around to find Daisuke pointing out the window up to the skies. Once Satoshi had made his way over and gazed to where Daisuke was gesturing, his face dropped.

Several feet away, simply floating in midair was the _Ken No Kuragari_. "_K-Kuso_!" Satoshi cursed. The soft glint of metal was made blindingly bright by the moonlight, the golden hilt sparkling in unison. It had remained the same way as before—blood sprayed across the ends, drying slowly. Only now, there was a strange glow emitting from the weapon, a perculiar silver color mixed with gray.

"Daisuke, get back!" He lunged towards the boy, bringing both down to the floor not a second before there was a wave of thunder, and the window they'd been standing at exploded with light. Satoshi pushed Daisuke's face deeper into his neck, arms wrapped tightly around the boy's neck to pull him closer as the light filled the museum and dulled until the darkness engulfed the room again. Beneath him, Daisuke was heaving deep breaths, his chest rising quickly against Satoshi's until a small voice sounded from below.

_'Satoshi-sama! You're_—Krad desperately reached out for his host's attention, but was denied. Satoshi's head was pounding so hard he probably didn't even hear the worried pleas of his curse.

There was a moment of silence as Daisuke regained his usual breathing patterns, and there was a soft, "H-Hiwa...Hiwatari-kun..." The sudden weight of the Hikari boy on top of him caused his lungs to crush, and the soon after light made his eyes water. It was Satoshi who had saved him from further pain, pushing the boy's face into the crook of his neck, the soft fabric of Hiwatari-kun's shirt brushing against his lips. When Daisuke could no longer feel the boy's warmth, or the taste of his sweat, he realized Satoshi was now kneeling beside him, covering his face with both palms pressed tightly against his eyelids. In small steps, Daisuke made his way to his feet and inched over to Satoshi.

Before Daisuke could offer assistance, or ask what was wrong, there was a soft pain in his chest. Instinctively, he reached out to grasp the cloth around his heart, giving a soft gasp at the sudden stabbing feeling to his inside's that he couldn't stop.

_'D...Dai...suke...'_ Dark seemed to be recieving the same pain, of course, as he cringed in unison with Daisuke, gasping when the boy suddenly fell to the floor, hands wrapped tightly around himself, fingers grasping at his shoulders. He tensed, hearing a voice from behind him that was _not_ Satoshi's.

"So the grand _Wing Master_ has fallen from simple magic? Pathetic." A sickening giggle sounded through the room, and Daisuke suddenly remembered the voice. That little laugh that took pleasure in pain. He could feel two dull eyes boring holes into his back as he curled into a fetal ball, biting his lip until he drew blood. When he finally gathered enough strength to re-open his eyes, they traveled up, towards a pair of hazy orbs. "Quite pathetic. I dare venture, is the ever impudent Mousy crying in the back of your mind?" The figure leaned down, taking Daisuke's face in long elegant fingers that slipped past his skin. The boy couldn't help but shiver.

It earned a sly smile from the captor as strands of white fell in front of a pair of deep gray eyes. It was then that Daisuke could finally see this artwork in its true form. Earlier, it had been nothing more than a ghost. Nothing more than what Krad or Dark might be when they fazed into view to inquire things of their hosts. There had been some feel to it though, that was obviously true, seeing as there were bruises and marks on each Satoshi and Daisuke which had come from this...this,_ thing_.

Against all odds, a Hikari artwork had truly come into existence. With pumping blood, and pale flesh like frost on roses. That night, oh that night it had been something of a nightmare imagination, with even the voice being so ghastly that Daisuke couldn't register it as true words that came from a human mouth. Now, it stood before him dressed in the attire it had scrounged up from magic, ragged pieces of brown cloth that hung from his lanky body. Now, it had thin locks of white that looked like snow and felt like ice, lips thin and pale. Now, it had eyes that seemed endless, and dead, like cobwebs had strung back and forth until there was nothing but a gray, lifeless, color. And now, _it_ was no longer a thing—in fact, _it _was now a human, and to be more specific, a _he_.

"Does it hurt?" the artwork asked with another wicked smile. He turned Daisuke's face upwards, leaning closer until the redhead could feel the chilling breath against his lips. "My, my, you are _quite_ a lovely thing. I have the pleasure of seeing one of the most _attractive_ hosts, I see. This, at least, I can be blessed on." In a childish manner he turned his face upwards and closed his eyes, furrowing his brows for a moment before looking back down at Daisuke and giggling again. "I might understand why Hikari-san was reluctant to kill you, little _precious_."

Daisuke tried to pull away, but the firm grasp that the artwork held did not falter. He opened his mouth to somehow let out any sign that might be taken as a cry for help when he was suddenly released. Within seconds, there were ruffling sounds and Daisuke tried to open his eyes again. The pain twisting away at his chest had finally dulled to only a soft throb he could easily ignore. Weakly, he pulled himself up again to find his previous tormenter on the floor, gasping in pain with his hands pulled over his head in some kind of way to protect himself from further injury. Above him, Satoshi stood, sword in hand raised above the figure, fresh blood sliding down the silver in a manner Daisuke compared to water on glass.

His breath hitched as he noticed the gash at the artwork's neck—and how it was slowly closing up until the skin once there had been replaced by a new thin layer. There was that little laugh again as the artwork stood, smirking in victory once he stood to face Satoshi. Satoshi, who's eyes were darting around in madness, Satoshi, who let the sword rest on the ground as he took deep breaths, Satoshi, who didn't _see_ that the enemy was advancing towards him, whispering words that Satoshi was trying to sense with all his hearing, "Ah, quite the protector are we, Hikari-san?"

A feral growl from Satoshi as he lashed out, barely missing his target. "Shut up! W-Where..." He dragged his feet back, pulling the sword along with him to create a long line across the polished white floor of the museum. Daisuke watched, perplexed, as Satoshi stood without any movement as the artwork circled him several times before stopping behind the boy. "Here, right here, Hikari-san," he said, pushing strands of silk from his face and dodging, just as Satoshi turned and slashed the blade to where he _thought_ his foe might be. He flung the sword out _blindly_ in several directions. It was then that Daisuke was so horror struck with realization he froze in place.

_'Let me take over NOW Daisuke!'_ The redhead was snapped from his thoughts at the sudden outburst of his curse. Without thinking, he let the other have full control and it was soon Dark that stood, watching the scene of Satoshi striking out to catch something on his blade, and only slicing at air. "Hiwatari!" Dark called, rushing forward to stop the boy from his rampage.

At the sound of footsteps, Satoshi thrust the blade out until he was met with a scream of pain, and the sound of a body falling to the ground in a way that made his stomach turn. Something wasn't right. His target...He was sure, he must have struck, who else could it have been! Two arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close until Satoshi could no longer realize what was going on around him. He could, however, feel the presence of Krad pressing angrily for control. Behind him, a soft breath tickled the skin near his neck and soft, frozen lips, brushed against his collarbone as a figure murmured softly, "Ah, ah, Hikari-san. We'll meet again, love. For now, you ought to take care of the problem you have so foolishly put yourself into." With that, the entity vanished and it was then that Satoshi realized his mistake with guilt ripping at the inside of his guts. He fell to his knees, discarding the _Ken No Kuragari_ carelessly to his side.

Just as soon as it left the Hikari's hands, the blade was engulfed in darkness, and slowly vanished. There was another giggle, and the artwork watched with thin eyes from the window as Satoshi cried out his friend's name. He ran a finger down the blade until it met with the hot liquid at the tip, and then slowly brought the dripping red to his mouth until he smeared it across his lips and licked it off. "Ah, the blood of the Niwa...such a sweet taste." With a malicious smirk, he looked down one last time, the sword back in his possession, and vanished in a flurry of gray feathers.

"Oh_ god..._N-_Niwa_...Answer me! _Please_!" Satoshi let his hand reach out across the cold tile floor, searching for any sign of life. No longer did he care if the enemy had escaped, or that what he had come for was long gone. He blinked several times, but it did him no good; there was nothing but blackness. His breathing hitched when his fingers slid into something, and his whole body slipped forward to collide with another figure. Another limp, hard presence that was now beneath him. He reached out desperately, lungs taking gulps of air; one hand finding soft strands of hair, another in a puddle of something warm and thick. He slid his hands across the floor, his fingers soaking into the sticky substance until his eyes widened again.

"_DAISUKE!_"


	3. Night of Healing

Balance

_Chapter Three: Night of Healing_

"To take upon oneself not punishment, but guilt - that alone would be godlike."  
_—__Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

_'Satoshi-sama...Let me out. You must, or else—'_ The curse was cut off by a soft sob of his host, who continued to grasp at the cloth of Daisuke, trying to feel for the wound, trying to help. It was obvious that as soon as he'd struck...As soon as Dark had been pierced with the _Ken No Kuragari_, Daisuke had returned to take control, and in all the agony had fainted. Now, Satoshi was desperately trying to awaken his friend, trying to _see_ his friend. It was no use. No matter how many times he shut his eyes closed, and reopened them, there was nothing but darkness ahead of him.

"Daisuke..._Please_, say something!" Satoshi's hands wrapped around soft strands he was sure to be crimson locks of Daisuke's hair. His eyes just stared above him, as if praying to the gods that he hadn't struck anything vital. It was his own damn fault. He knew Niwa was near him, yet he just_ panicked_, when all of a sudden there was someone rushing towards him. All he could think of was to injure that person in any way. He didn't know it was Dark! Or that he'd just given a gash to his only real friend_—_He _didn't_!

The Hikari ran his fingers lightly over the substance on the tile floor. Blood. Niwa's blood. And the gash he'd made, he could tell it was just on Daisuke's side. For a long moment, he stayed silent with his hands trying to clutch the wound and stop the bleeding, with Krad screaming in the back of his mind. Then it came, the soft words, almost let out in a moan. "S...S't...oshi..." They were like honey to his mouth, and cold water on the back of his skin. Satoshi's face brightened, just so slightly as he listened to Daisuke cough, and reach out weakly to grasp onto the front of Satoshi's shirt. "Let...Him..."

Satoshi tried to move his mouth, trying to place his hands over the ones now clutching at his clothing, "I...I _can't_, what if he—"

Another harsh cough, and then a soft wheezing breath, "Dark says...It'll be...Fine. If you don't...I'll..."

_'Die,'_ Satoshi's curse answered simply, _'What more of a chance does he have? He's no good with a blind man and a gash at his side. I myself, want the pleasure of ripping his heart out. Though, I must admit...'_ And Satoshi could nearly _feel_ the icy fingers that slid down his skin, and the breath that tickled his ear, _'Watching you...Strike at the Niwa, was very pleasing.' _The younger cursed violently at his curse until the ragged coughing of Daisuke reached his ears again. He jumped, trying to grasp out and find the Niwa boy again when the pulsating struck him. Krad violently ripped at the inside's of Satoshi, and after several moments, the Hikari boy was in daze at the back of his own mind. Thoughts whirled into a vortex and Satoshi's own vision spun before he could tell that he was no longer in control.

Almost in a gentle manner, Krad kneeled down beside Daisuke, looking at the horrid sight before him. Satoshi turned away, bile rising in his throat. With his own body, his eyes had beam stripped of their regular sight. But now...With Krad's own form on the physical plain, it was easy to peer through golden eyes at the fallen comrade. Krad had already slowly began to restore Satoshi's own sight when he murmured, "Strange, Mousy hasn't begun to heal him yet." Carefully, he ran his fingers over Daisuke's pale forehead and drew them back quickly. "Cold," was all he said.

Daisuke was, to be blunt, torn in such a way that it almost looked like his upper body could be disconnected from the bottom. The wound at his side was wide, and deep, and Krad wagered it was several inches into the flesh. He couldn't tell whether Satoshi had struck any vital organs, but it was obvious that several veins had been torn—the thick, dark, blood was gathering in a pool beneath the young one

Krad sighed at the job set before him, and placed his hands over the gash. Satoshi could nearly feel the pleasure that ripped up his curse's spine when the feel of Niwa's warm blood soaked his fingertips. There was a malicious smile before Krad interjected, "Ah, do not worry Satoshi-sama. I will not hurt Niwa Daisuke...For the time being." His fingers suddenly grasped tightly around the boy's side until Daisuke's form jolted up unconsciously in a sickening manner that Satoshi compared to a person jumping from an electrical shock—someone who already had died.

Krad gave a soft groan of effort before releasing several lines of what looked to be light into Daisuke. From his fingers ran silk-like threads that sewed themselves into the wound. The blonde drew back slowly, the strings connecting both enemies until they suddenly snapped, and seemed to twirl and vanish into the gash like snakes lashing their tails to escape a foe, sliding deep into a hole.

_'K-Krad! What—'_ Before Satoshi could finish his spasm, he watched with wide eyes as silver threads began to appear in Daisuke's wound like spider webs. Actually, it looked so much like webs that Satoshi had to look away in fear that Krad had released some kind of arachnid creature into Daisuke. Back and forth the threads flowed freely, as if some invisible needle was there, guiding the lines, and eventually, Satoshi realized that each time the string flashed in the moonlight, it connected itself to another part of Daisuke—the wound was slowly closing up, as if these threads were actually…

"Stitches?" Krad inquired, smirking, as he began prodding at his host's thought, while watching his magic work within a _Niwa_, and was almost disgusted. "They are _h__ælen_ threads. They—"

_'Heal, of course,' _Satoshi retorted bitterly, watching the gash weave itself up intently.

"So you know your Old English well, I presume?" Krad pressed, giving a soft smirk. Satoshi grumbled his agreement, and the blonde could feel the restlessness that was arising within his tamer. "What _ever_ is wrong, Satoshi-sama?" Krad leaned down closer to the Niwa, breathing down the boy's neck to see if it might somehow awaken his rival.

Deeper within his mind, Satoshi fumed. _'He's healing, now give my body back, will you?'_, was the biting remark. The boy clawed away desperately for control, but his efforts in vain.

Just as Satoshi struck again, Krad was slowly picking up the Niwa boy in his arms and curling closer until his lips brushed gently against the skin of Daisuke's neck. Again, Satoshi was sparking with jealousy—wait, jealousy? No, no...It couldn't be that. It was simple anger that Krad was taunting him, that was it...

"Oh, _must_ you be so contentious, Satoshi-sama? I would never give your Niwa a lustful passing thought," he chided, and then added, "But _you_ on the other hand—" The curse's words were silenced with a soft groan issuing from Daisuke's lips, and the further spewing of colorful words that pounded in Krad's mind, curtsey of Satoshi. He gave a soft laugh, nearly passing as a giggle that emitted from his throat like bubbles. He clutched the Niwa closer as his side continued to sew itself shut, and looked around. "_Such_ a disaster," Krad said, giving a quick sigh and shake of the head.

Satoshi questioned him quietly, nearly mumbling his excuse of words as Krad began to spread his thick wings. Feathers scattered onto the floor, landing in puddles of blood, staining them a deep red. "Ah, you see, you can be _quite_ a fool, Satoshi-sama." Krad let his wings take a slow rhythmic beat in the air. His muscles tensed for a moment, and suddenly relaxed as his feet rose from the tile floor. In only seconds, the three were gliding over Azumano once more.

"You see," Krad continued, eyes lingering on the boy in his arms, "The _Ken No Kuragari_ is a weapon, of course. Yet, one must remember the old saying of being ready to die by the weapon that you hold." Beneath his angelic body, Krad could see the lights slowly flickering on in the houses. The sky was tinted a lazy violet, pink hues spreading across the sky. The curse held back a smile at the sight, in addition to his tamer's comment.

_'What do you mean by that?'_ Satoshi seemed to be rattling his brain. He never paid much attention to his history lessons, or any of the American wars or sayings that were sometimes mentioned when wars in Japan were discussed. Sometimes, they would go into length on some of the fights. It was rather a bore, listening to battles of men who enjoyed the thrill of fighting. Satoshi began to wonder if Krad had ever considered traveling to America during those wars, taking over his host's body to go and drown in the pleasure of watching bloodshed.

His thoughts of the blonde angel with a wicked smirk and a gun on his shoulder were disturbed, when Krad suddenly cleared his throat, saying, "I _mean_ that a man cannot hold a weapon to any other, without being prepared to _die_ by that weapon." Wings quickly billowed in the wind as Satoshi's apartment came into view. "Of course, that has never been a respected saying. Men will kneel and beg for their pathetic lives, when faced with the same weapon that they may wield."

_'So, what does that have to do with the artwork?'_ Satoshi asked angrily, seeing as Krad was acting much like his history teacher, and he found himself falling asleep in his own mind. For a moment, he watched Daisuke sleep silently in the blonde's arms, twitching several times in moments that the wind struck his face hard, or Krad tightened his grip.

The balcony came into view, and Krad slowed his pace, coming to rest near the glass door. His hand shot out and clicked the lock up, sliding the door open and closing it behind him as he entered the dreary room. The curtains, cracked only slightly, allowed light to wander in and cast ominous shadows across the pale walls. Krad frowned. "You know," he muttered, entering Satoshi's room and setting the Niwa onto the bed, "You ought to consider adding some kind of color. It might be at least _one_ way, to defy me." Satoshi could feel Krad actually _giving_ control to the younger boy, and eventually it was he who looked down upon Daisuke, hands wandering across the sheets. His sight, still blurry, allowed him to watch Daisuke's thin form grasp a pillow closest to him. The older rubbed his eyes warily, assuage the stinging feeling he had within his pupils from being healed from him temporary blindness.

"You never answered my question," he stated angrily. From the back of his mind, he could hear Krad chuckle, hand muffling the sound.

_'Just...Think on it, Satoshi-sama. The Tsubasa No Kumori has that blade now. He will use it as a weapon, but do you think, even with that artworks power, he is aware of the immense force he himself holds by using that weapon? Ah, gomen, Satoshi-sama. I shall not bore you any longer. Good...Ah, morning, I should say.'_

This only ended in Satoshi groaning in detest, and checking his watch. They'd be late for school. Well, of _course_ they'd be late for school! '_To hell with education today,'_ Satoshi thought. He felt his body swaying uneasily and then his eyes began to weigh down on him like soaked clothes. Fatigue was slowly dripping into him, and his head was spinning at a horridly fast rate.

"Just...Let me rest," he muttered, to no one in particular. His fingers found their way to soft sheets, and he himself was falling, falling...Onto something soft and warm, with a comforting presence next to him, and all he could think of was the smell of spring, and the feel of rose petals before he was lost in a world of sweet lies.

**IIiiII**

When Daisuke awoke, is was because sweat that drenched his back and a deep growling within his stomach. Groaning, he shifted several times and reached out in an attempt to grasp a pillow and bury his face within the fabric. When he instead, felt his hand running over soft strands of hair, he stiffened. The torrent of memories flooded his thoughts, and he suddenly let his hand reach out and feel around his side, where his wound should be. Instead, he could feel a fine line of something hard and cold, like wire. Daisuke's fingers traced several scars remaining on his hip until he dared open his eyes.

"S-Sat'shi..." Instead of getting an understandable reply, Daisuke was greeted with a groan that came up from the older boy's throat as he turned to provide Daisuke with a view of his back. "Wait.. where?" Daisuke stumbled for words and raised his body off the bed, wincing at the sudden pain it brought to his head and side. "Ah! That...That hurt," he whispered.

_'Don't worry, you're just sore.'_ Dark shifted in Daisuke's mind, a deep frown set on his features as Daisuke ran a hand through his hair, finding where there had once been a gash to his head. Instead, there was nothing other than a large bump and a small scar. Curiously, he pulled his shirt up and pushed his pants down just a little to allow a better view of his side. _'Krad… did it. Well, not that it, but you know what I mean,'_ was the quick remark of Dark, following with a smirk plastering itself on the thief's face. Daisuke only ignored him, observing the thin scar on his hip. What he had thought of as wire, cold and hard, was actually golden strands of.. string? It certainly looked like string, or at least what one might consider stitches.

Dark phased into view, sitting with legs crossed at the end of Satoshi's bed. He cast a glance to the sleeping figure, and then let his eyes rest back onto his host, watching the boy scrutinize his skin. _'They're just healing threads, no need to worry. We can both conjure them from the our own world, to heal our Tamers. I guess Krad beat me to it.'_ Dark's smirk lost its power, as he glanced away and grumbled something under his breath, growling when Daisuke let out a small muffled laugh.

Daisuke let his clothes fall back down and made his way out of the bed, shaking. Dark instinctively flinched, but did nothing. Since he _could_ do nothing. "But, why?" Daisuke questioned, making his way out of the bedroom. Dark raised his eyebrows, following the boy carefully as they made their way into the kitchen. The small Niwa boy sat on a chair, eyeing the kitchen. "Not like Hiwatari-kun has anything in there," he remarked to himself.

With a swift movement, Dark was once again sitting in front of Daisuke, his chin propped up on his palm. _'Well, it was probably just creepy bastard screaming at him to help you--And Krad gave in.'_ A shrug of the shoulders and Dark rolled his eyes in a mocking way. _'He's got no right touching you. That's my job.'_

He smiled in amusement when he saw his Tamer blush furiously and march over to the middle of the room. The small child flung open the cabinets to find nothing, and groaned. His stomach agreed with him, letting out a low grumble which was assuaged by Daisuke setting his hand over his abdomen. He was just about ready to give up and turn around to further search the apartment when something caught his eyes. With curiosity, he turned and walked back to the kitchen, towards the sink, and reached over, to push the little curtains away that covered a window.

"Eh?"

Sitting in front of the small window that looked like it was holding its breath, was a little vase. It was clear like glass, but tinted a vermilion that made it stand out more. It must have been the sun that was trying to enter the room, shining the scarlet color and catching Daisuke's eyes, but now it was what was _in_ the vase that was interesting him. It had peeked Dark's interest as well, and so they stood staring at the bundle of flowers. It was strange, because the windowsill was so small, with the paint peeling and dust collecting on the dull edge, with the window an old yellow color that made Daisuke think of people in a hospital. Yet the vase, so bright, full of crystalline water, seemed almost alive with what it contained.

After a moment, Dark spoke softly, _'I think it's called Baby's Breath.'_ He was staring at the little bulbs of white that looked like snow, or pieces of fluff flicked onto green. The stems were fresh, as if immortal, yet Daisuke could tell it was only because they'd been purchased recently, or maybe pulled from the ground, he wasn't sure.

"Hiwatari-kun likes flowers?" Daisuke asked, letting his fingers graze the tips of the flowers, and then run down the stem. He also noticed with much surprise that the sun outside was very high, and that the streets were busy with people. "What time is it! What's today? Ah...Hi-Hiwatari-kun, g-good morning! When did you...?"

"Just now, and it's afternoon, Friday," he responded, running a towel roughly through his hair, watching Daisuke. The sudden entrance had surprised Daisuke. "You didn't hear the shower? Hmm, how long have you been awake, Niwa-kun?"

Daisuke swallowed, noticing Satoshi's eyes glinting, in a nice way, yet the casual way he stood made the boy nervous. He shifted, running a hand through his hair and then shoving both into his pockets, letting them shake deep within the confines of fabric. "O-Oh! Just a while ago, half hour, maybe?"

Satoshi shrugged, giving a soft, "Hmm," and then walking over to the stove, clicking it on. The towel on his head was thrown over his shoulders, his hair still slightly damp and hanging down, just as the loose clothes hung off his body. It surprised Daisuke to see him in such casual wear, and he found himself wondering how often Satoshi was able to escape the usual school uniform—chasing Dark, doing homework, tutoring, and working probably kept him from doing small things like _changing_.

"Niwa-kun? Did you hear me?"

_'Daisuke, snap out of it! He's been trying to get your attention for the past three minutes!'_ Dark, still aggravated with his Tamer for going on and thinking about what Satoshi wore daily, shouted at him again until the small redhead jumped, glancing to Satoshi who was giving him a confused stare. "Ah, y-yes? I mean, no, I didn't hear you! Sorry, Hiwatari-kun..."

Satoshi sighed, turning back to the teapot on the stove. He must have gotten the water boiling while Daisuke was spacing, as he was now pulling two cups off the shelves, and asking, "Do you want something? Tea, or coffee?"

Again, Daisuke nearly jumped, but only stuttered an agreement on the first, and gratefully took the cup that was set in his hand in the next moment. Satoshi pulled a chair up and sat down, setting the cup on the counter and then swirling a spoon around on the inside. "Eh, Hiwatari-kun, do you like flowers?"

He watched the boy's shoulders tense and waited for a reply. Satoshi drank the rest of his tea, and stood, stepping over to the sink and setting the cup there. He looked up to notice the curtains had been pulled open, letting one have a view of the busy sidewalks beneath. Then, the beautiful flowers that stood straight from the red vase, gathering in the sun and accepting the attention it had been receiving. With a gentle sigh, Satoshi shut the curtains, yet didn't notice Daisuke frowning.

"_No_." He turned around, and walked past the small redhead, entering the living room and heading straight for the door. "It's just...They have a beautiful meaning."

"What is it...? Wait, where are you going Hiwa-"

"You're hungry aren't you?" Right on cue, Daisuke's stomach growled angrily in response, causing its owner to blush. There was a long silence before Daisuke nodded, watching Satoshi throw the towel off his shoulders to land on a nearby table. He slipped his shoes on, and motioned for Daisuke to do the same. It was only once they were walking down the street that Daisuke finally asked, "What about school?"

Satoshi turned, looking down only slightly (since by now Daisuke was almost as tall as him), and grinned. "We can play hooky today."

"Whaaat!" Daisuke stumbled his way behind Satoshi until the two entered a small park, and found themselves seated on a wooden bench. Satoshi, calmly leaning back sighed in content before his muscles tensed at the sound of Daisuke's voice, a quiet whisper, "Hiwatari-kun...Don't you think something's...Strange?"

The older blinked several times and glanced around, ready to give an answer when he took a _closer _look. Eyes thinning, he whipped around, staring at the trees behind him. His fingers found their way around a small stone on the ground, and he chucked it at the tree. Another stone, and another tree until he had struck three trees, eyes widening only slightly. Finally, he nodded to Daisuke, as the younger boy's eyes darted around.

"It's to—There's nothing..._nothing_ here."

**IIiiII**

_There are places, that simple mortals cannot see, nor fathom to exist. They do exist, however, in worlds that seem so different from the human realm that even the most wandering mind could not fit together how such a place could thrive. But it's diminutive, and only the strong are able to enter the place where the supernatural, the magical, the beyond belief live. Those who began to wonder where the Hikari receive their abilities were slaughtered, left dead in the cobblestone streets, because this place was never to be found. Here, where plains of green stretch out and do not end, because if one were to reach the end, they would only come to rest at the other side, like running a circle around the world. Fields of flowers that sleep in the day, and bloom at night. The trees so lush, bear the sinful golden fruit that had forever been banished and forbidden. The Earth so damp, that one could breath in the soil and feel as though they were only swallowing water. And here, there is a castle. One that looks small, yet has so many floors, not even the shadows have found them yet. This castle, so amazing, is made of glass. And it is full of illusions and lies. For one to become lost here, would be the ultimate punishment. Yet those who have the magic of Hikari, they are the gifted, and this is where they reside._

Pail hands ran across silver, fingers played across the edge of a sharp blade until they came to rest at the hilt. The bright gold brought the fingers closely until the figure's hand was clasped greedily around the handle. Fingertips grazed the three small stones that lay beneath the man's palm until he whispered, "Such...A piece of beauty."

"Yes, Acanthus, now do me a favor and stop drooling, would you? It's revolting, I must say." The man turned to watch the younger male giggle, arms crossed as he watched the other release the sword. He brushed a hand over his silver hair, gray eyes flickering with something dangerous. "I brought the _Ken No Kuragari_, so you must keep your promise, and—"

The man's fists tightened again, and the younger stiffened, falling silent. "Yet you failed to kill the Wing Master, and this news of Hikari-san is very...displeasing." The man sighed, walking over to a table where several items sat scattered. The other one followed, skipping over and leaning across the marble surface, glancing around and waiting for the older to find what he was looking for.

"Really, you expect me to kill such a _precious_ little thing?" He sighed and flipped his body around until he was leaning against the table, waiting impatiently. The artwork stretched, watching the clothes he wore pull tight on his lank body, and the smile on his face widened. To actually have a body was a blessing, and Acanthus, his master, had also agreed. The man himself had a body of his own, yet it didn't really fit him. The strands of bleached blonde that hung down, caressing the gentle face, felt like straw, yet his skin felt like silk. Even though the artwork was over a hundred years old, he had been placed in a body that should have belonged to man in college.

"Yes," he answered simply, startling the other one, "Since _you_ can't get the job done, I sent Saffron." Acanthus piled several large volumes into his arms, turning back to the other boy and glaring down at him. Blue eyes came close to sharp slits of ocean behind a pair of small glasses, and his thin pair of lips were set into a flat line across his face.

Before he could stop himself, the other artwork blurted out, "You know, it's a pity the Wing Master is so attractive, or else I'd—"

The other just groaned, walking away and down the long hallways of the castle they were in. "Idiotic bastard..."

"No fun, Acanthus, you're no fun," the other whined, chasing after him, "You sent Saffron? But he'll kill both of them!" The artwork groaned, and stopped. Acanthus had already vanished in the hallways, and now the artwork stood alone, pondering. His smile broadened, and he spoke quietly, to himself, eyes glinting.

"Saffron...He can't have my little precious," he complained, and grinned, his image suddenly blurring, "No, this won't do. The Wing Master is _mine_ now." And he vanished, leaving behind the castle of glass.


	4. Night of Revelations

Balance

_Chapter Four: Night of Revelations_

"Myths which are believed in tend to become true."

—_George Orwell_

* * *

Two dusty eyes watched from afar, arms tucked at their owner's sides, a cap pulled down over his face. He shifted, watching a couple sitting on a bench, their eyes suddenly darting in various places. The eyes flickered and the man giggled softly, covering his mouth as he did so, the satin gloves he wore brushing against his lips. Tugging the cap down further he vanished behind a tree. "Ah, so they _can_ sense Saffron. He _is_ quite dreadful at hiding." He giggled again, and slipped away to watch the scene unfold. 

Daisuke's eyes moved to gaze at the far end of the park where he was sure he had seen some kind of rustling of the bushes, or the quick billowing of a cloak in the wind. When he turned to inform Satoshi, he found himself alone. As he began to panic, he heard another noise and turned, squinting his eyes at a nearby tree.

_'Daisuke...'_ Instead of hearing the warning, the young one slowly slipped off the bench and curiously made his way over to the tree, his brow furrowing as the rustling sound increased. When he finally stopped at the edge of the trunk, the disturbance ceased, the whole park suddenly becoming very silent. Again, Dark slowly tried to pull him away, _'I've got a bad feeling about this, Dai. Hey! Are you listening?'_

The small redhead was far from listening as he soon found himself gazing into two bright eyes that seemed to shift colors when the light changed_—_first the irises were a deep violet, then soft scarlet, flashing to gold, and finally lingeringon a glassy blue. Daisuke quickly jumped back when the tree shook again, and in trying to scramble away he tripped, landing on the ground just as a figure dropped from the tree.

The figure, a male, looked very familiar, yet Daisuke couldn't exactly place it. When he spoke, his cool voice made the Niwa stiffen. "So _you_ are the new Wing Master. You look quite pathetic, sitting there like an imbecile." He stepped forward, and Daisuke scurried back, trying to getaway from those glassy eyes that seemed just like..._ice_.

"Niwa-kun!" His head whipped up to see Satoshi, looking absolutely perplexed and running towards him. The unknown man hissed in distaste, striding over to Daisuke and grabbing him by the wrist, pulling him close to his chest until the boy was whimpering very quietly. Satoshi stopped, breathing harshly as he watched the man hold Daisuke closer, a threat glittering within his eyes as he spoke slowly, "I've been assigned to kill you..._both_."

"I'm surprised," muttered Satoshi, "To see actually see you've been _released._ What was the name...Saffron, wasn't it?" His foot scooted forward slightly, his fingers suddenly tightening. "You think you're smart," he continued, a small smirk suddenly showing on his face, "Trying to empty the whole place just so you can play your little games." Daisuke's eyes darted back and forth between the two when he finally noticed_—_they nearly looked identical. He was sure he'd seen this person (or thing) before, yet he couldn't place the time. Was it...

Saffron, or so he was called, scoffed, "Ah, to think the Hikari's have come down to you _swine_, protecting Niwa's!" His grip tightened, and Daisuke winced at the pressure suddenly applied to his arms. "I stand here, and you, descendant, dare to defy me."

His eyes narrowed, glaring at the very flustered Satoshi before the other Hikari suddenly burst. "Ancestor, artwork, whatever you may be_—_I have no reason to _respect_ you. Now let him go. Let the Niwa _go_." Instead, this only further induced the artwork that resembled Satoshi in every aspect to tighten his grasp. He would have spoken but suddenly, his eyes widened, his grip loosened, and he fell to the ground. Daisuke yelped as he was being pulled down with the man and Satoshi rushed over, prying the young redhead from the his grasp.

"H-Hiwatari-kun, what_—_" Before he could finish, both watched with wide eyes as the figure before them suddenly vanished as if he was nothing more then fog. Daisuke began to panic, backing further into Satoshi's form before the artwork was gone. After a long moment, Satoshi reached down to pick up the strange gray feather left behind in the disappearance.He observed it carefully as his eyes thinned, a strange golden tint engulfing them for a moment. In a rush, he grabbed Daisuke's wrist, running out of the park, whispering a name the other boy couldn't hear. Before they left, the young Hikari gave one last glance around the spot they had just abandoned, catching a glimpse of something that looked like it could have been a trick of the light...Or perhaps, it was just a shadow.

The figure from before slipped out from his hiding place, twirling a feather between his fingers. He looked to where the drama had played out_—_the ever 'powerful' Saffron struck down, vanished, and then the two greater beings scurrying off. He laughed once more, tucking away the feather within the cloak he wore, pulling his hat down further as he too made his way from the park. Before he suddenly vanished again, he cooed, "You see, Saffron, do _not_ try to defy _me__—_Or touch _my_ Wing Master. What a pity it will be killing him."

**IIiiII**

Satoshi had flung the door closed once they arrived back at the apartment, locking it anyway he could though he knew no barrier could protect the two from what could have taken their lives in the park. Daisuke stayed silent as this went on, and Dark convinced him to sit down on the sofa and wait for the 'creepy bastard' to calm down and explain everything. Apparently this worked, as soon the cushions dipped slightly once he sat down next to Daisuke, his hands running through his hair. "Do you understand now, Niwa?" he asked softly, his breath suddenly hitching.

"N-No, Hiwatari-kun...I'm sorry, but I don't." Fingers played with his clothes as he awaited an answer. Within just a few seconds, he could feel Satoshi staring at him, eyes boring a path down his skin and then making their way back up to his face.

"You don't?" A harsh laugh. "You're a _Niwa_, the _Wing Master_ and now that the _Tsubasa No Kumori_ has been released, every surviving artwork will be after your skin and blood."

Daisuke pulled himself up, the tightening in his chest suddenly intensifying until it felt as though strings were slicing through his heart. "Surviving...artwork?" he choked out. Satoshi only nodded, his hands reaching calmlyover the blanket to the side of him on the arm of the couch.

"Yes. All the artworks that you_—_well, Dark, has stolen have a _spirit _within them. The Hikari were known for giving all that they had into their work. You've heard the expression, 'Putting your heart and soul' into something haven't you?" He looked over and received a quick nod from Daisuke, silently encouraging him to continue. "That is _exactly_ and almost _literally_ what the Hikari accomplished. They placed all of their love into their work, let their emotions enter into it, until finally the artwork truly had a soul of its own."

Daisuke decided to remain silent, and Dark had agreed with him. The redhead watched Satoshi lean back on the couch and reach to adjust his glasses, only to remember he had lost them last night at the museum. Reluctantly, he let his hand rest back down as he continued. "However, when Mousy decides to steal them," Daisuke flinched at the ice that entered his voice, "Those spirits are disturbed, and they become bitter...So much so that most of the time_—they die_." Daisuke's eyes widened at the aspect of anything actually dying by Dark's hand.

"They drown in their misery and they die, and that is only part of the reason why the Hikari's have despised the Niwa's_—_they've always _killed _our art." Satoshi suddenly pulled himself from his seat and muttered that he was going to go do some work. Daisuke sat alone on the couch until Dark phased into view to watch his Tamer let tears bubble up and slide down his cheeks.

Frowning, Dark tried to comfort his host. _'Dai, don't pay attention to creepy bastard, he's just__—'_

"Why didn't you tell me," he cried, nearly going into a hysteria. "You mean all this time we've been killing! Killing all of them...I've killed them!" He nearly sobbed. The words from the artwork suddenly rang through his head. _He killed them, Hikari-san. He killed them all..._ "Tell me Dark," he ordered, his tone suddenly biting, "Tell me everything."

The angel was taken aback, looking at the young one with admiration, or surprise, or something in between. Yet his expression softened and he sighed, looking down in mock defeat. _'Alright, Daisuke. I'll tell you...What you need to know.'_

Satoshi sat in his room, striking the keyboard sharply, eyes searching along the monitor for something. Groaning, he leaned back and ran a hand through his hair, only to resume his search. When the image of a certain painting flashed before his eyes he bit his lip, clicking on the picture only to have several documents spread out before him on the computer screen.

_'You should know the basic history of the Hikari and Niwa's.'_ Dark leaned forward, scratching the back of his neck and sighing deeply as he continued. _'I've been passed down, stolen from them, and Krad is always the one to try and stop me.'_

Daisuke nervously glanced at Satoshi's door and whispered, "But _why_? Where did you two come from? I know, the Black Wings, but..."

_'That's not important right now! Now stop interrupting, will you?'_ With a huff, Dark crossed his arms impatiently and waited for his host to nod solemnly, waiting for the rest of the explanation. _'Alright then. Now, it's true what that creepy bastard said. The Hikari have always sealed part of their souls into their work. Why do you think they're so cold hearted?'_

The soft shrug was a careful reply, and there was a moment of silence as Daisuke considered the possibility. Obviously, the amethyst-haired angel wanted to continue, and cleared his throat. _'Most of the time, that soul melds with the artwork until it has a life of its own. Maybe the subject of the art comes alive, or the theme of the work. You remember when we first found Towa? The statue itself was of a bird, but she took her own form__—that of a young woman.'_

"You mean that," Daisuke whispered, "An artwork can create its own form? Its own body?"

The transparent form of Dark nodded, twisting his fingers together as he glanced down at the white carpet thoughtfully. _'If it has a Hikari soul, yes. You've seen the Tsubasa No Kumori, right? He has his own body, doesn't he? Do you remember what the painting looked like, before he was able to escape it?' _At this, the seraph let his eyes raise only slightly to watch his host. Locks of deep violet strayed in front of his eyes.

The young redhead closed his eyes in deep thought, trying to recall the previous night. It was just like any other robbery, and Dark had snuck inside the museum with a smirk on his face as he reached out to snatch the painting. Only something had gone terribly wrong, and Satoshi had been too late in shoving aside the thief before the painting exploded in a strange light. The canvas was empty, clattering to the floor, but above it was the form of a true Hikari artwork.

Again, Daisuke strained to remember, finally asking, "But...Wasn't it just a painting of a town?"

_'But what was special about it? What did you say when we saw it?'_ Dark was nibbling on the bottom of his lip, a strange habit for a usually suave Phantom Thief.

"I said..." He blinked, a sudden realization hitting him, "I said that the shadows were scary. There were shadows _everywhere__—_the water in the canal, the bridge, the streets, even the sky looked like it had a shadow."

At this, Dark suddenly relaxed, a hand running through his mess of violet strands as he nodded carefully. _'Exactly, Daisuke. And the rough translation of Tsubasa No Kumori?'_

"Wing...of Shadows?"

_'Or, Shadow Wings. Just as Krad calls me Black Wings. You making the connection yet, Dai-chan? That doesn't really answer you rquestion though,'_ Dark remarked, waving his hand around before pressing his lips together firmly, and continuing. _'To cut a long story short, any Hikari artwork that survives and remains in its 'form' is a threat to the Niwa's. _

_'They're hard to destroy, because they shift between this realm and another. Remember when you saved me from the mirror world? The world they inhabit is almost similar to that one—one of the few surviving different dimensions.'_ Leaning back, Dark stretched his arms and frowned when he noticed the puzzled look on his tamer's face.

"How many...surviving artworks are there?" Daisuke was nervously fiddling with a bandage on his arm as he waited for the answer. The fingers on the white wrap were trembling.

_'That's something I'm not even sure of. We're missing one less artwork, though. The one in the park, Saffron? He was the spirit of the old jewel we stole a while ago. I'm still confused with how he ended up dying, though.'_

The thief glanced thoughtfully out the window for a long moment, before turning back to redhead and giving him a curious gaze. He glanced towards Satoshi's room as Daisuke pulled a thin gray feather from his pocket. "What about this? There were a few of them left behind. It was there when the artwork vanished." Carefully, he held it up to the dim light in the room and attempted to catch Dark's attention.

The two stared at it for a long time before Dark took one of his own feathers and held it up to the other. From his pocket, he retrieved a pallid third one (Krad's, no doubt) and also compared it. All three feathers seemed to belong together, in some kind of flow. It was Dark who spoke first, looking horror-struck, as he whispered, _'Tsubasa No Kumori! Negrido!'_

The young redhead panicked, suddenly feeling a searing pain at the back of his mind. "D-Dark! What's_—_"

"Niwa-kun, I..." Satoshi blinked several times, staring at the gray feather held tightly between Daisuke's fingertips. The redhead tensed, tucking the item back into his pants as he stood and turned to face the young boy standing at the door. The silence that followed was ominous and intimidating until the young artist turned on his heel, walking back into his room and asking Daisuke to follow.

Satoshi pulled his chair out, slouching back down in it as he scrolled over a website on his computer, then waited while several pages printed. Daisuke caught sight of strange inscriptions on the papers before Satoshi startled him from his thoughts. "I thought you might want to see this," he muttered, enlarging a photo on the screen. He pointed to a recent photograph of the _Tsubasa No Kumori_, and noticed the sudden fear that it incited in the Niwa's eyes. The recognition and the memories of the previous night flowed back to him in a torrent.

"That's..."

"Correct." Satoshi pointed to several of the shadows, his fingers playing along the outlines as his skin ran over the warm monitor. "At least, what the painting looked like before the spirit escaped." Satoshi clicked several more messages, pulling up another image. It was actually a drawing - an artist's rendering of the painting shown seconds before, and was dated years ago. "This is the same painting, except it was illustrated by another artist, hanging there on a wall. At the time, there were no cameras. Or is it really the same, Niwa-kun?"

Confused, Daisuke leaned forward, resting his hand next to Satoshi's as the strands of crimson brushed against his friend's cheeks, their faces close together while looking at the picture in close observation. Daisuke furrowed his brow. "Hiwatari-kun, it is the same painting, there's..."

Suddenly, his voice died as he noticed the differences in the shadows. Amber eyes began to swell with confusion and horror as he began to absorb the more grotesque shadows. Shadows in the water were made of screaming women, swords plunged into their hearts. On the streets were the shadows of devilish birds with sharp wings, as if the creature flew just above the small city. The moon was being engulfed by darkness, probably an eclipse.

"What's...that?" Daisuke let his finger wander up, pointing to a figure on a bridge above the canal filled with water. Satoshi's eyes followed and he nodded solemnly. "It appears to be someone in a cloak, doesn't it?" he replied, his finger tracing downwards, as he went on. "But look at the shadow in the water."

"A skeleton." Daisuke squinted his eyes, scratching the back of his neck with an irritated sigh. "How do you know it's the same painting? They seem so different..."

"That's it," Satoshi muttered, "They're _not_ the same painting..." He reached over, picking up the printed pictures of the paintings. "Last night, the _Tsubasa No Kumori_ was stolen, was it not?" Satoshi put a small star next to the photograph of the painting Dark had attempted to steal. He then put a careless circle around the drawing of the piece of work, the darker one with morbid shadows. "But this was what Dark should have stolen. The _real_ _Tsubasa No Kumori_. Did you notice when Mousy stole the painting, that it looked fairly recent? _Tsubasa no Kumori_ was painted a long time ago, made by one of my ancestors_—_didn't you wonder why the paint looked pretty fresh, and the colors hadn't faded?"

He received a quick nod from the other, Daisuke chewing roughly on his bottom lip as his eyes darted between the two paintings which should have looked the same, as they were both supposed to be the same. His hand brushed against the one he'd seen the night before. "So what are you saying, Hiwatari-kun?"

Satoshi leaned back, removed his glasses and pressed them to his lips before tucking them away. He let his cursor run over several links before clicking on one with a recognized title. "I'm saying that the _Tsubasa No Kumori_ was destroyed years ago, along with others during The Cultural Reformation. The painting you stole last night had to be some type of fake. So, the question is..." He groaned, running his hands down his face. "What is its spirit doing here _now_?"

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** So sorry for the very very (three months?) late update! An important note: the last chapter, Night of Healing has been corrected, there's nothing very signifcant that I changed, but some things to point out that my beta reader did:

1) When Satoshi mentions his 'American History Teacher' he's really just talking about his History teacher, which I changed. Japan students don't have US History Teachers.

2) The meanings of a few of the artworks are intentionally supposed to be unknown.

3) Satoshi-_**sama**_ is a term used by Krad. Usually, it means someone older or of higher status. Since Krad views Satoshi as 'his' and a great Hikari, he refers to him as "Satoshi-sama" which also indicates Krad has strong feelings for Satoshi.

4) Daisuke is very sore, let's say. Dark's very franctic with trying to heal Daisuke (after they both woke up), and his injury was horrible-but remember, Krad also helped heal him. So yes, he's very sore, and his wounds can easily open back up again if he's not careful. As for how Krad healed him, _healen_ is an Old English word meaning "healing", and (I gave) Krad the ability to use something called "healing lines" or "Astral threads" (mentioned in another story). They're like stitches, but since Krad is an ethreal being, these "stitches" have healing powers.

5) This new unnamed character (also known as Tsubasa No Kumori), is very feminine. That's why he "giggled" in the last chapter. He giggles in a sadistic way. He's a lot like Krad, so you know.

I'm very sorry for this long author note, but I wanted to clear some things up! I hope to see you in the next chapter! The delay might be due to the new fanfiction I'm doing. ;/

Also, I bet you're all wondering: When are they going to really move in with each other! Keep in mind, it's only been one day since all this happen. The first chapter took place last night, this chapter took place current day (morning), and ended in the afternoon. They're already (kind of) moved in with each other - things will calm down a bit soon - and then they'll just spark back up. Reviews are very much welcomed in my time of dead muse! -sob-

- peachie


	5. Author Note

Balance

_Author Note:_

I haven't updated this story, or any of my other stories, in a very long time. However, I find the need to continue writing this summer, and have a particular large amount of time available. But, I would rather go about writing other things, and dropping this, and other fanfictions of mine, if I get no feedback, or criticism. We all know reviews do motivate us to write. So I'm hoping this note catches some attention.

_If you have already read Balance_, please review telling me whether you would like me to continue. If you have read some of my other works, feel free to prompt me on those as well.

_If you have not read Balance_, get to reading it! And, of course, maybe looking at my other stories. If you do review for this author's note, please only leave a comment to say whether you would like me to continue. If you would like to do a generic review, leave those on other chapters. I say this because:

I will be deleting this author's note once, if prompted, I get the next chapter of Balance up. That means all reviews will also be deleted. SO. Be aware of that. Thank you.

--peachiee


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